BEIJING, Sept. 17 -- A Tibetan mastiff in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, bit off its own tongue and died after a thrashing by its owner.

    The owner, surnamed Pan, beat the dog for fighting with another dog in order to teach it a lesson.

    "I felt so regretful," Pan said afterwards. "My friend who has kept Tibetan mastiffs for 20 years told me that they are the king of dogs and have strong self-esteem.

    "If you beat a mastiff in front of other dogs, it feels ashamed and will kill itself to keep its dignity." he added.

    (Source: China Daily)